


HOME

by countrysundae



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hybrid - Freeform, Hybrid AU, Multi, Seventeen Hybrid, Seventeen shifter, Shifter, Shifter AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2019-10-24 07:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countrysundae/pseuds/countrysundae
Summary: "Don’t separate them, please. Please don’t. They are a family.”





	1. Chapter 1

“Grandma?!” You shriek as you enter the threshold of her outer door, wondering what her particularly strange call was about.

 

‘Has she taken her pills?’ You ask yourself as you enter the old, but giant farmhouse. “Grandma, hello?” You call again, opening the door to her abode, without as so much of a peep from beyond the door.

 

You step inside gingerly, never knowing what your elderly kin has in store for you. It’s cold and dark in her house, despite it being the middle of summer and it was almost sunset. She has all the lights turned off and the aircon cranked. She doesn’t have a care in the world does she you roll your eyes, throwing your purse on the hooks she has in her entry area, trying her cellphone again with little to no luck as it clicks right to voicemail. You hope everything is okay. Her call to you seemed frantic and pained, babbling on about ‘The Boys’ and how she was worried she couldn’t take care of them anymore. You hoped you were just over thinking on your drive over here.

 

A low growl is heard to your right, beyond her green sofa, glaring at you with distaste were a pair of big yellow eyes, watching your every move.

 

You freeze on the spot, blood running cold, gulping down some saliva as you watch the yellow Labrador retriever come to glower at you, fur on his back bristling at your entrance to your grandmother’s house unwelcome and sudden.

 

What was his name again? Your grandmother was getting quite eccentric in her old age, naming all her pets something wild and crazy - which you knew wasn’t too far off because she had a few exotic pets over the years. 

 

“Good boy…Vernon?” You try looking at the growling dog glowering up at you. At the mention of his name, though, he sits down tilting his head to the side looking at you with as much of a questioning look he can produce for a dog. “You probably don’t remember me since you were very small since the last time I saw you.” You chuckle more so to yourself than to the animal but nonetheless, you extend your hand out so he can sniff your open palm and confirm you were not a threat.

 

His cold wet nose bops your hand looking for treats, moreover than greeting you. You pet the top of his gently, his golden fur very soft and downy in between your fingers. “Can you take me to my grandma, your owner, you good boy you?” You try to coax him into doing this for you, leading you to where your grandmother was hiding. he makes his way to the kitchen, pawing at the backdoor to the barn in a hurry.

 

“I’m surprised she didn’t take you with her.” You say to Vernon once more as he rockets out of the squeaky door once you open it. You see two big figures standing in the fenced in area with a smaller figure in the grass below them. They were both similar in color, one more rich in color than the other, the other had something large on it’s back…

 

Is that a camel?

 

You now take off like a bat out of hell towards the fence, worried your grandma was seriously injured by the large hooved beasts. “Grandma!” You cry out reaching the threshold of the wooden posts. You didn’t know how to move the two huge beams, watching as Vernon crawls under the one you decide you would too, but, you go upwards over the beam in an attempt to clear the obstacle as fast as you could.

 

The two creatures in the middle of the field are now in clear view as the sun starts to disappear from view - a horse and a camel - lingering over your grandma’s groaning, lifeless body.

 

“Grandma!” You duck down in an attempt to help her up but the camel was not having it as he spits into the front of your t-shirt when you get closer.

 

You shoot the animal a dirty look while Vernon barks. The horse whinnies and paws at the ground in irritation from the dog barking. “Vernon, it’s okay.” You try to soothe him as the two hooved creatures backup the same time the barking stops.

 

Okay, weird.

 

Your grandma groans on the ground while you whip out your phone again, dialing an ambulance while you try and check your grandma’s condition. She’s breathing but barely. “Did you hit your head grandma?” You whisper into the field. The chestnut-colored horse continues to paw the ground as you try and sit her upright while the camel seems to watch you with disgust.

 

“Grandma…” You trail off, heart beating right out of your chest, seriously worried that she had done more than just hit her head and fallen.

 

“Mingyu…Mingyu…” She groans and groans into the dusk air as the flashing lights of the ambulance pierce the darkening sky, signaling the paramedic’s approach.

 

“What’s wrong? Which animal?” You ask, clutching her arm as she starts to come around from her condition.

 

“He ran…” She sputters, fluttering her eyes open. “He ran away.” She clutches you, tears in your eyes while the people in uniform shout and yell, Vernon going to collect them and bring them to you and your grandma hopefully. “Y/n.” Your grandma beckons you closer, you can see how worn and weathered she looks from propping her up at this angle. Your beating heart breaks for her a little. Was she running herself ragged these past few days? Were her animals too much for her? Were they consuming her life?

 

She grips your arm tighter as she looks at you with furrowed brows. “Y/n…You have to take care of them for me, y/n.” You blink at her in response. “Please. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to make it at this rate.” Your eyes start to water as Vernon barks in the distance, closing in on your hunched over frame in the field, fetching you the people for you. What a good, smart boy. “You’re the only one I trust and these boys need someone who can care and love each of them. Please Y/n. I know that you are the only one who can do it.”

 

“Grandma, I don’t know how to take care of a horse, camel, and whatever else you have hiding in that house.” You say to her in between the paramedics helping her up and placing her on a stretcher. The horse and camel approach again but Vernon barks a few more times before they both just sway anger from side to side. “I don’t know that first thing about animals, grandma.” You say as she is being carried away to the front of the house you and Vernon following them up every step of the way.

 

She pats your hand, about to be placed in the ambulance, your mother calling your cellphone non-stop as the sun is about to set over the horizon.

 

“Don’t separate them, please. Please don’t. They are a family.” She weakly asks you looking at your with equally sad eyes. “I love you Y/n.”

 

“Wait!” You yell before they close the doors of the vehicle on your face. “What do I feed the camel?!” You ask, brain going positively foggy at the whirlwind of events that happened while you arrived a few mere minutes ago.

 

She smiles softly at you. “Don’t worry, he’s the leader of the family. He’ll tell you everything that’s happening, I’m sure. And watch for Jihoon underfoot! He’s so tiny!”

 

SLAM.

 

And with that, your grandmother was whisked away to the hospital while you are left to watch her precious babies as the sun sets comfortably over the large field behind the farmhouse. You see something break through the trees galloping fast, bobbing its neck along the line of trees by the patch of dense trees she has in the back of the land she owns.

 

Your heart drops when you see the orange and brown pattern printed on the side of the animal.

 

A dog - sure. A horse - okay. A camel - definitely new to you but you’ll give it your best shot.

 

But this…this was wild, even for your grandma.

 

How the hell were you supposed to take care of a giraffe?

 

“Hi!” A soothing baritone calls to you over your thoughts, you all but whip around to where the yellow Labrador was once sat looking at you, now replaced but a naked man about your age looking down at you with a blinding smile. “I’m Vernon!”

 

“Pardon?!” You shriek into the growing darkness.

 

“You’re our new master?” He questions you as you can only blink back in response.

 

He had a tail… and dog ears… and - and -

 

You lose it finally and end up finally keeling over from the events of your evening.


	2. Chapter One

‘Shit!’ You think as you awaken to the sounds of light chatter coming in from all around you, probably from the zoo that she was inevitably harboring in her home. ‘Your grandma's animals!’ You almost want to gasp, but you refrain, not really knowing who was playing with your hair currently if they were friend or foe. Your heart was beating out of your chest as you continue to lie there. You hope and pray that you weren’t going to be outed for the thumping happening inside your body.

‘Your grandma’s animals!’ You almost want to gasp, but you refrain, not really knowing who was playing with your hair currently if they were friend or foe. Your heart was beating out of your chest as you continue to lie there. You hope and pray that you weren’t going to be outed for the thumping happening inside your body.

Speaking of body, you felt like you had gotten hit over the head with a frying pan, a dump truck had plowed through you - your brain was positively jello at this point. You could barely comprehend what was happening at this moment let alone think and process anything noteworthy in your life currently.

“Will she be okay?” A shrill voice floats in from somewhere around the room.

Did you dream that dog boy and was he the one with his paws carding through your tangled locks? Or did you just happen to hit your head like your poor grandma and are delusional?

“Should we call another human for her? She isn’t moving.” A smooth voice whispers somewhere above you. Your stomach flips. Where were you? Were you safe? How many people were in the room with you? And who were they?

“No, we’ll wait a little longer.” A deeper baritone calls further away than this voice does.

There’s a lull in the conversation before someone sharply inhales to your left. “She’s up.” Comes a purr of a soft voice, breath almost tickling your ear with how close this man was to you.

You want to gulp, fearing the worst, knowing that you’ve been caught now, but instead you pretend to awaken with a pathetic excuse of a yawn and a stretch. Maybe you can act your way out of this? Whatever and wherever this was.

“Mmm.” You were never that good in drama classes, so hopefully, your terrible acting is going unnoticed when a chorus of gasps echo in from around you. The hands leave your hair in a flash, and the warmth of the stranger’s fingertips was comforting and welcome in a strange way. You hear a scattering and a clatter of feet moving away from you while you suck in a breath, worry seeping through your veins as you open your eyes to the sight of at least three different people in the room.

It was dim in the living room area of your grandma’s farmhouse, only one lamp lit up far away in the corner from your body lying down on her sofa. It was hard to make out how many people were in the room with you as you sit up, but, it was definitely more than the initial three you had originally thought of before. And these weren’t regular looking boys or men or whatever they are - oh no - they are much more than that.

Some of them are tall, and some of them are small, some of them have tails or ears of that of an animal, some of them have glowing eyes and pointy teeth and some of them look plain wacky with long, long hair or different colors galore.

The dog man from earlier steps forward after a moment of silence and wide eyes looking at you - weighing down on your frame under the pressure of all the people around you. He lowers his yellow fur-lined ears and tail as if he could control them. You want to laugh out loud at the thought so far fetched, but you refrain, more than worried they wouldn’t find your thoughts to yourself equally as funny.

“Y/n?” He asks softly, caution coating his tone. “Y/n, please don’t be alarmed this time.” He gives a sheepish grin, ears perking up ever so slightly, his rich chocolate eyes looking like he was begging you not to faint all over again.

You nod slowly, not really knowing what to say. Your eyes leave him and try to count how many boys there actually were in front of your seat form on the couch. Seven? Eight? Nine? You were still a little delirious from your fainting spell earlier, and you weren’t sure if you could continue to just sit here and not say anything. You nod again, for what reason, you have no clue.

“Mrs. Johnson will be alright, won’t she?” Asks a boy behind the dog-man with a wide smile and long, long hair. “She fell in the field, and those people in uniforms took her away.”

“That’s because Mingyu ran away and she tried to run after him.” A smaller boy with pointy fangs cranes his neck back to glower at the tallest boy in the room with patterns on his face and two horns jutting out of his caramel-colored hair.

“It’s Mingyu’s fault.” Comes the shrill voice again from somewhere in the sea of boys as they all start to murmur around themselves in unison.

“I-“ The tall boy upturns his brows, a pained expression forming on his face.

“I miss Mrs. Johnson.” The dog man whines, tail, and ears seemingly drooping to the floor.

“Hey!” A tall man with a deep voice and a long face drawls as he steps into the dim room from you think the kitchen area is. “Hey now, we aren’t playing these blaming games, gang.” He lightly shakes his head. Golden locks moving in synch with him, as he looks at each boy individually. “Mingyu got spooked in his shifted form, and Mrs. Johnson was leaning on him. It’s not his fault. It happens to all of us.” The swelling of the sea of boys seems to vanish into thin air with this humpbacked man’s words of comfort.

He turns his commanding attention to you in the couch, causing you to let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding in. His gaze was soft as he comes to kneel in front of you, big orbs and brown, looking at you like you had starlight infused in your face or something.

“Hello Y/n.” He beams, pouty lips stretching across his face wide. “I’m Seungcheol. Your grandma called my S.coups though, but, I’m okay with whatever you want to call me.” You continue to watch with wide eyes as he rambles, looking at you intently. “I’m sorry I spat on you earlier, I just didn’t know who you were. Vernon said that you are Mrs. Johnson’s granddaughter, so I apologize that I acted the way I did.” He breaks eye contact with you to look around behind you sheepishly. “I know this is going to come as a shock to you and I know you probably won’t believe me when I tell you this, but, I am that camel from earlier outside.” He gestures behind him to the group of huddled close together. “These are ‘The Boys’ Mrs. J would like to call us, though I think we are missing some here…” He moves his head around as his lips silently count the number of boys behind him. “Probably a little frightened of a new person in the house…”

“You mean there’s more of you?” You blurt out, eyes darting around to count the eight boys behind this supposed camel again. You blush, this is the first thing you say to them is this, and you can’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I’m just really confused.” You manage to get out of your throat, your body feeling more than nervous with the many boys in the room, not really knowing who and what they were doing in your grandma’s house.

The leader turns his back to face you, smiling very gently at your shell shocked form on the couch. “Yes, there are thirteen of us.” He nods at his words.

“And you are all animals?” You ask passively, not really sure if you could believe him at this point.

He nods again, turning to the boys behind him. “Kind-of.”

“I’m sorry, can you elaborate?” You ask, pitch rising in worry, wondering if your grandmother has joined a weird cult in her old age. “Can you explain why there are thirteen of you and why you are living with my grandma?”

There’s a wave of silence that washes over the room with your breathless words.

“I…I know you probably won’t believe us, but, we were cursed by an evil witch who has made us humans in the night time and our true animal forms in the day time - that’s what we call our shifted forms. We still retain parts of our animal form in the day time, such as tails and ears and what have you.” The camel gently explains to you. “We found your grandma after she saw us in our shifted forms in the day time. You can only imagine her surprise at night when we shifted to our mostly human forms haha!” He smiles wide, the memory must have been a find one with the way he was crinkling his eyes in his sockets. “That was a long time ago, and she keeps most of us hidden when she has company. But, Vernon said he remembers you and thinks you are a fine fit to be our new master.”

You stare at him in complete and utter silence. You blink rapidly. Did you hear him right? You open and close your mouth several times. This can’t be true.

“A witch?” You hiss out a whisper. “You expect me to believe you are all animals turned human by a witch? And my grandma just happened to find you, and you’ve been living with her ever since?” They all nod their heads slowly. You scoff and roll your eyes. “That’s freaking impossible because I saw him when he was a puppy!” You point to the dog-man named Vernon as he lowers his ears. “That’s a grown ass man right there, and I met him maybe a year or two ago. You expect me to believe you?” You ask incredulously as you start to rise from the couch. “You had me until you said witch, you really had me!” You laugh to yourself as worry paints their faces with your harsh words. “I’m leaving.”

You go to grab your purse and keys from her front area, leaving behind this wacky sick hallucination you perceive in your concussion filled brain. A low growl rips through the night air somewhere behind you, someone catching your wrist, making you gasp and turn on your heel.

“Please don’t leave. Stay until sunrise and see us become what we really are.” A wolffish looking boy with captivating eyes pierce your soul with his hazel gaze. “Please.” He asks you softly, gentle voice wafting through the home.

You did tell your grandma that you would stay and watch ‘The Boys’ for her. And you might as well just do it, you’ll give in to your stress-filled sweet dream. “Sure, I’ll humor you.”

He lights up as shrieks and yells fill the air.

“Nice!” Someone calls in the living room space.

“I’m hungry!” Someone else shouts and is echoed by many yelps and words of agreement.

“Will you feed us please?” A boy with a round face asks you, bounding over with twisted eyebrows in thought, dark hair damp and hands in a prayer formation together.

“Will you, master?” The boy with the piercing eyes asks you again, and you feel like you are under a spell staring at him.

“Yes…” You give in easily as the hall is filled with cheering and whooping again as you are jostled along the boy’s arms gently to the tiny kitchen. “Wait, I don’t know how to cook!” You say looking at the tall boy who is steering you gently to the fridge with wide, almost alien looking eyes.

He rolls his eyes down at you and opens the silver fridge right in front of your nose. To your surprise, thirteen containers had various different food items stored inside with names labeled across the stacks of tubberware neatly placed in the cool refrigerator. 

“We get a scoop in our bowls of each of our containers.” A boy with eyes that resemble ten-ten arms on a clock says to you while the rest of the seven wait patiently behind the counter. “Everyone go get their bowls!” He instructs the group as they race to the pantry to collect their various items.

You start to fill your arms with the different containers, bringing them to the counter. You repeat this two more times until you had all the plastic containers of their food in front of them. “Can’t you do this yourself?” You ask them, and they all shake their heads in unison.

“No. Mrs. J liked to do it for us, she’d get mad when we did it.” The camel-boy responds to you, and you nod your head with brows raised. Yep. Sounds like your grandma to you.

“Well, then…I guess I’ll scoop and you tell me your ‘animal’ I guess.” You giggle, playing along with their game.

They all light up and start yelling as they form a single file line along the wall of the counter to come see you for you to start dishing out of their dinner.

“Okay, so…” You trail off reading the tin of the smallest container. “Jihoon?” You ask looking up at the group as no one rushes forward. You wait a little before setting it to the side. You guess it’s not one of the nine down here. “Chan?” You read the next container with sauteed meat inside.

“Me!” A shorter boy with pointy fangs and glistening eyes steps forward, whizzing to the front of the line to get his dinner. You grab a serving spoon from the big collection your grandma has on her counter and look at him as he tells you that he is a Tasmanian devil. You feel your eyes bug out as he runs away with his bowl, drooling all the while.

“…Uh…Okay, Soonyoung?” The boy with the kind-looking ten-ten eyes comes rushing to the front of the line in a fluid motion - multicolored ears twitching as he hops and bops along the way, striped black and white tail moving behind him.

“Hello, Y/n, nice to officially meet you. I’m Soonyoung - a lemur.” He waits for his assortment of vegetables and fruits to be scooped into his bowl. Once you’re done, he picks up your scooping hand in his and gives you a light kiss on the top of your hand.

You blush a bright pink you’re sure as you stammer out the next name. “S-Se-Seungkwan?”

“ME!” The shrill voice rings out as the boy with the round face comes to the front of the line, his hands still close to his chest with his green bowl. “Me! Me! Me!” He squeaks out, and you giggle filling the boy’s bowl up happily.

“And what are you?” You ask scooping closed muscles and greens into his dish.

“I am the king of the oceans, ruler of the waves! I am a sea otter!” He clicks his tongue at you before hurriedly disappearing into the living space with a smile on his full face.

You continue to be surprised as you go down the line of patient boys waiting for their supper. You meet Junhui, the tall, quiet boy who directed you to the fridge earlier, who was a bushbaby. Seungcheol, the one-humped camel who claims to be the speaker of the group, and Vernon who you already know is a labrador retriever. Seokmin with the long hair introduces himself to you as the wildest stallion you’ll never have the pleasure of riding. Joshua is next, and he tells you he is a dhole, which explains the piercing eyes and striking features. And last but not least is Mingyu, towering over you, who you know is a giraffe.

“I’m really sorry about your grandma, again, I-I didn’t mean to make her fall, I just thought I heard something.” He sheepishly explains himself to you, and you pat his forearms with a small smile.

“I know you didn’t mean to cause her to fall.” You say to him for reassurance. He nods, a wry smile creeping up on his handsome features, but, you are unsure if he believes you.

CRASH.

You hear a screech coming from upstairs and a loud hiss and your senses are flooded with concern for what awaits with the rest of the boys waiting in the shadows of your grandma’s farmhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are feeling about this so far?! Feedback is always appreciated!!


	3. Chapter Two - Cats and Bats...?

“Oh my god,” Your heart is beating out of your chest at the sudden thought that something might be wrong from the jarring sounds upstairs. “What is happening up there?” You discard the containers, trying to put the boy’s food back in the fridge and zip around the various animal boys eating in different places all over the living room. All the friendlier boys raise their heads, watching you climb the stairs in a flurry. You haven’t moved this fast in the past few years since being on the high school track team. The soles of your feet burn as you climb the stairs to the strange noises that were wafting from them.

“Y/n?” Calls one of them behind you but you don’t exactly know who is following you up the creaking old wooden stairs yet. You barely remember their names, you haven’t the slightest clue whose voice belongs to who yet. “Y/n, wait!”

Yet, you snicker at your word choices to yourself in your head, that’s a funny thought.

As if you were going to stay here longer than you needed to in the first place.

Your grandma’s place wasn’t big by any means, her bedroom attaches to the kitchen on the main floor and up here there is another bathroom and two spare bedrooms you assumed she used for doing grandmotherly things like crafting or sewing. You had no idea what she actually used them for but as you pass by in a flurry you see that there are lots of bunk beds lining the walls of your grandmother’s house.

Or should you say your house now…? There was no time to think about that as you meet the end of the ornate carpet that decorated the squeaky floorboards.

You reach the end of the hallway and see that the ladder to the attic has been pulled down. There are faint scratching noises and quiet whispers coming from up the darkened stairs and you gulp. You look up towards the dim light of the stairs, worry coloring your face.

You were definitely going to die in whatever kind of horror movie this was, moving straight into the belly of the beast.

You ascend the rickety attic steps now, concerned about the other four hybrid boys you haven’t met yet. Those loud noises sounded incredibly serious.

You peer around the edge of the attic you were crawling up with bated breath, worried these four boys were scarier and less friendly than the ones downstairs were. You stand in the now quiet of the attic, peering around boxes and old furniture your grandmother was hoarding it seemed. Surely, if this was a suspenseful horror movie you’d be dead by now, glancing around boxes in the very dark upper level of this old house. Why would they be up here anyway? Who would like to be so high up, away from the other boys?

What were in all these boxes too? Why did she have so many of them? What was the point, grandma?! If you don’t need it, you throw it out or give it away or even donate unwanted items, right?

Those are all the thoughts you have, undoing the boxes, peeking into them, coughing a little from the layers of dust bunnies covering these off-colored brown containers.

There was mostly just pretty glass nick-nacks and what have you, placed with care in the boxes. You found photos of you and your family in the next box along with art projects you and your siblings had made for her when you were in the single digits of your ages. Your heart swelled why you let out an audible snort of a chuckle. She really kept these things after so many years, huh?

What a very grandmotherly thing for her to do you think as you miss the shuffling behind you.

“Who do we have here?” A soft, melodic tone comes behind you something that of a growl.

You go to spin around on your heel, but, you are thwarted by a pair of strong hands locking you in place, coming up behind you with that same low hum reverberating out of this person’s throat.

You want to scream, call for the nicer boys downstairs to rescue you, but, alas, you are frozen on the spot. Your once boiling, adrenaline-induced blood runs ice cold at the person cradling you in their grasp. This person leans over your body, inhaling deeply into the crook of your neck, another rumble of a growl rips through his body making you shudder in his iron grip.

“Jeonghan-hyung.” The voice that’s been following you up the stairs blurts out happily. “That’s Mrs. J’s granddaughter, our new master.”

“Chan,” the voice behind you grunts out, “no one owns me.” His lips ghost the shell of your ear as he speaks and it makes the little shiver you had run up and down your body again.

“Her heart is going to burst with how hard it’s beating.” An annoyed voice rings out in the rafters above you. “She must be afraid of you hyung.”

“Minghao, come down and meet our new pet.” The person named Jeonghan purrs out, smirk apparent in his voice. A man with a dark mullet appears in front of your face, holding on to the beam of the rafters with a long black furry tail. He looks at you with a raised brown, looking you up and down like you were a peasant beneath him.

“Master.” Chan corrects innocently.

Jeonghan turns to the smaller with a series of snarls ripping from his cool persona, releasing you from your hold from the dangerous man behind you.

You don’t let this opportunity go to waste, but you ultimately make the biggest mistake this evening by fleeing deeper into the maze of boxes and cobwebs.

Away from the light, away from the stairs, straight into a literal nest.

You fall into it with a loud thud, your arms were thrown in front of you to brace for the trip, the wind being knocked right out of your stunned body.

You can barely see where you are, worried you’ve angered yet another one of these attic dwelling brats.

“Who are you?” A disgruntled voice stirs close by you, the rustling of something next to you is heard.

Your blood was pounding in your veins, your ears flooded with the rushing of the river of red pumping through you at lightning speed. You take a gulp of salvia down your scratchy throat. Mind going numb again, forgetting how to communicate, how to form words as you lay in silence, waiting for the voice to speak again.

“I asked you a question human,” the thunder of a low rumble that expels from the body you can feel looming over you splits the anxious air.

You scramble to go back the way you came, fleeing once more back to the safety to the pack downstairs. You slip past the three arguing (or verbally fighting you weren’t sure) in the other corner as you try and escape the confines of the dim attic for good. The opening in the ground of the floorboards made your stomach lurch with relief. You couldn’t wait to go to the exit, to experience the freedom of ugly carpet rugs and nice boys who say they turn into animals.

You could taste the sweet tea your grandma used to make on the tip of your tongue as you practically jump out of the hole in the ceiling.

Success! You think once you land back safe and sound on the second floor.

“Hey!” Shouts the deep voice from a few moments ago from above you and you scream, witnessing a winged giant wiggle his massive body out of the hole behind you.

“Oh no!” You whisper more to yourself than to anyone in particular.

You book it to the bathroom, knowing from your childhood the handle had a lock on it and that will stall him for a while you think as you fling the door open, locking it right behind you, sliding down the wooden frame with a shaky breath.

This has been the most active night you’ve had since college.

To your surprise, there’s no banging on the door, no yelling, no demand for justice. Nothing but silence beyond the wooden frame which made your life so much easier you think with a contented sigh nowadays you stand from the multi-colored tile.

A sniffle comes from behind the shower curtain and you are scared to find what will be waiting for you around the flimsy plastic liner.

You couldn’t take any more surprises this evening. You just couldn’t. For the sake of your sanity as well as everything else piling up in your plate with unwanted responsibilities.

You pull back the shower liner anyways with a determined huff, revealing a tiny boy hugging his legs to his chest to his legs sitting in the tub with no water running and all his clothes on. He looks up at you with one of the saddest expressions you’ve ever witnessed. He had fluffy black ears that were pressed flat against his head as he stares up at you with water pouring down from his eyes, his long tail twitching as he hiccups.

You almost miss the giant fresh scratch running from his cheek down to his jaw. He looks so sad and so scared like you were about to hurt him in some way too. You kneel in front of him sat in the tub with a smile on your face.

“What’s the matter?” You ask the very cute boy as he sniffles again looking at you as if you were a monster.

“Who are y-you?” He stammers out, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

“I’m Mrs. J’s granddaughter and I guess I’m your new owner now.” You smile at him.

“Where is she?” He asks, eyes damping with more tears of sorrow. Oh gosh, you know he’s crying but he’s honestly just way too adorable.

“She had a fall earlier but she should be fine. She’s at the hospital.” You feel bad you haven’t called but it was really late and you hoped she was resting and staying out of trouble.

He just nods, looking away from you, hugging his knees in tighter.

This boy, sitting here in your grandmother’s tub with the giant eyes and soft face tugs at your heartstrings, making you want to help him in any way, shape, and form. He must be the youngest you think watching him sulk silently. He’s so tiny and small! You think as you take in his half human half animal form. He looks like a little cat!

You decide at this moment with this boy you don’t even know his name that you will truly stay in this house of thirteen boys who magically turn into animals.

“Can I clean your cut for you?” You get up to rifle through the cabinets under the sink and the boy gingerly steps out of the bath standing to full height to reveal he’s on the much shorter side. He looks you up and down sheepishly as your back is to him, his dark tail flickering in question behind him as he steps out of the usually wet container.

“Ah-ha!” You whisper, finally finding some rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, and bandages way in the back under the dusty cabinet of the sink. You whip around to face the curious boy in question with a bright smile, instructing him to sit on top of the toilet seat.

“What’s your name?” You ask happily, trying to lighten the mood.

“Jihoon.” He replies in a meek fashion.

He does what he’s told, all while keeping a very close eye on you as you pour the strong-smelling liquid onto the fluffy cotton ball. The cat man watches you with silent bated breath.

“This might sting a little.” You warn him. All he does is nod in reply. Jihoon winces and sucks in a breath once you touch his face with the coated ball, his eyes squeezing shut as you quickly apply the medicine wiping away any blood on his small scratch. “What happened?” You ask him as you apply the band-aid.

“I-I wanted to take a nap and it-t was so noisy in the h-house, so, I climbed the ladder and I crawled into Wonwoo’s nest with him and when he woke up, he scratched me and yelled at me.” The little cat boy sniffles, looking like he was going to cry once more.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” The gentle coo that comes out of your mouth was soft and sweet, smoothing the young boy’s hair as his shoulders shake. You embrace Jihoon as he does the same, wrapping his tiny hands around you, his guard finally down as sunlight sprinkles in from the tiny window in the bathroom, the first rays of sunshine of the morning on the horizon.

All in a sudden motion the boy disappears, leaving you to cradle a small black cat in your arms. You watch the little ball of fur situate himself in your arms as you stare down in shock. The cat nuzzles into your stunned arms, purring loud all the while with a giant bandage spread out across his small face.

If this didn’t make you believe the reality you were in, you’re not sure if anything ever will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated!


	4. Getting Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have a sudden thought. Maybe not the best idea you’ve ever had, but you know it’ll get at least one of the boys down from the ceiling and hopefully eating out of your hand.

You’ve never been so happy you worked from home ever in your life until now. You’d never thought you’d say this, but, thank god for being an accountant. You worked for a law firm, handling mostly everything over emails and electronic documents, making your life one hundred percent do-able from home. Thank the business gods smiling down at you from the heavens above that you were good at your job too, only working a few hours in the morning before getting back to moving things in and out of your newly acquired household.

Speaking of your new life…

It’s been the roughest year of your life, getting adjusted to your new home as well as your thirteen roommates at your grandma’s house. 

Your roommates…Thirteen boys…who were also animals…

You’re sure it’s weird living with you too as you have some habits you just weren’t willing to break yourself. Yes, you snore and sing in the shower but why was that such a big deal? Maybe because when you were sleeping, they were up and vice versa. Maybe you should try to be a little quieter so Vernon and Joshua wouldn’t howl so much when you are performing in the shower. 

You’ll do your best, but no promises have been made. 

You were still trying to wrap your head around everything but couldn’t quite understand their situation fully…Perhaps one of these days you’ll understand their transformations and their odd schedule, but for now, you don’t dwell on what they are, no. Rather, you focus on who they are… 

The majority of boys have warmed up to you, helping you move in, cook for the herd of boys in the house with the exception of three. The three from the attic…Three out of the thirteen weren’t bad results! You know that beyond these walls the statistics were flipped, where you only liked about three human beings. But still you try to win them over with treats and video games, but nothing has worked. They have either rejected or ignored you all together, slamming the attic door in your face. Now, if they even get a whiff of your scent they won’t open the hole to the ceiling at all. 

You have tried with all your might to get close to them, in which it’s worked with most of the boys, especially since you have visited your grandmother in the hospital and she’s told you all about their personalities. 

You have visited your grandmother every other day since she’s been here, knowing she must feel lonely, only watching reruns of game shows and soap operas all day. Your mother, brother and yourself were worried beyond belief for her, taking turns bringing her food from home, as well as materials to knit with…

You remember the day you had finally opened up to her, asking her about the boys, unprompted by her questioning. You don’t know if you’ve seen her smile any wider than she was right now. Jungkook had just left for the day, hugging your brother goodbye as he was off to his personal trainer job. 

You show her the gifts that the boys have given to you to give to her. Seungkwan has given her his favorite toy (three stackable plastic shapes), Mingyu has given her a leaf from the tallest tree in the forest, Jihoon has supplied her with his favorite color of yarn (a pale yellow color), Seungcheol and Dino have given her a painting you helped them create (with all thirteen as animals including your grandma and yourself), Soonyoung and Seokmin gave you flowers picked from the garden to give to her (half of them were weeds but you’ll never tell them that), and last but not least Junhui, Joshua, and Vernon gave her their favorite blankets to keep her warm in the hospital. (lt also looks like Vernon also snuck in a bone too…)

She smiles fondly as she sits up in her hospital bed, having a sparkle in her eyes now that you were talking openly about the boys. You tell her who has been good, who fills your day with glee. 

You tell her about how Jihoon sleeps on your lap when you were on your laptop working the morning away. “He’s so attached to me!” You chuckle to your grandma while she eats her jello, watching every move you make with a glimmer in her eye. “I swear he would crawl into my shirt if I’d let him.” Her grin widens when you tell her about how silly Seungkwan, Soonyoung, and Seokmin are attached to each other at the hip, cracking jokes and making each other laugh. It really made your day to see them as humans and animals interacting. Seungcheol and Vernon really made your transition into the house an easy one, always there to help you out, no matter the issue. Mingyu helps you cook for everyone, keeping the kitchen spotless while you prepare food for the other twelve that live with him. “He gets so excited when he sees me in the kitchen, even if it was for a midnight snack. The rest of the boys were great as well! Most of them liked watching TV with you or going outside, talking about stars and what they would do if they were permanently humans.

“The only trouble I’m having is that it seems Minghao, Wonwoo, and Jeonghan don’t like me much.” You sigh into the stuff couch of her hospital room. “Seungcheol is the only one they want anything to do with.”

“Those three took a while to warm up to me too.” She admits setting her jello container down on the tray with a sigh. “I don’t know why they have such a big chip on their shoulders.”

“They are so cold!” You throw your hands up with your brows knitted together. “They only want Seungcheol to deliver their food! Isn’t that ridiculous!” You scoff, folding your arms over your chest again. “I don’t know how I’m going to lure them out from the ceiling!” 

“Well, I’m sure you can think of something.” Your grandma chuckles, trying to push her eating tray away from her body with little to no luck. You get up to assist as quickly as you can, wheeling it away from her hospital bed. 

“Have any ideas?” You ask as she relaxes into her white sheets, eyes fluttering. 

“Not right now, dear,” she yawns, “I’m a little sleepy.” She snuggles further into her crisp bedding. 

You chuckle, leaning over her wires and bed frame, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Sweet dreams grandma. See you soon.” 

You walk out of her room missing the way she smirks to herself tucked into the hospital bed, peeping an eye open to roam around her room. You were a smart girl she thinks flipping the station to some raunchy reality tv show sitting up in her bed, snickering to herself as she zones in on the tv. 

-

On your drive back to your house you brainstorm about winning over three very stubborn and disinterested boys. 

What do you know about them? 

All three are jerks! You think switching the radio stations repeatedly, not finding anything you liked playing at the moment. No, no. Now’s not the time to get feisty. You had to play off what little you do know about them.

Jeonghan is an arctic fox, which by animal nature he was meant he was clever and sly, slinking up behind you and striking quick when no one was looking. He had a velvet tongue, making you fall down a dark rabbit hole with just a few words escaping past his pretty lips, and unassuming you didn’t know it was a trap the whole time. He was, strangely, the friendliest out of the unfriendly bunch, which wasn’t saying much because they all were not impressed with you in the slightest. The only thing you know he liked for sure is food - raw meat to be exact.

Minghao was a spider monkey, hence the crazy prehensile tail. He was mischievous, and equally wanted exactly nothing to do with you, making it increasingly hard to get close to him. He wasn’t food motivated, no. He would eat his food, but he would pick and choose which ones he enjoys. He is cunning, using your words against you, even if it was just a greeting. Minghao would make an excellent lawyer you decide with a silent snort, driving to your home. He does like to be active so you realize that he likes swinging from the rafters. 

Wonwoo is a great horned owl, he liked being up high and hidden away from the world. He wore glasses and was the most intimidating of the three because the sheer thought of his presence commanded so much attention. You knew the least about him because it seems the other boys are either terrified or don’t know much about their elusive brother themselves. It suddenly strikes you as odd that the only thing you know about him was his name and his animal species. 

You ponder, scratching your head stopped at a red light. 

You look around to the kids in a nearby park, giggling and screaming as they chase each other around. Ah, to be young and free again you think in your head watching them go round and round, swinging back and forth with vigor on the swings and going down the slide at a fast pace. Your skin prickles at the thought of getting rug burn from the playground. A group of preteens catches your eye before the light switches green, dancing at the far edge of the younger children, trying to hop and groove to the beat of whatever was pumping through their little speakers. It was cute to watch the kids bop around trying to keep up with the tempo.

You have a sudden thought. Maybe not the best idea you’ve ever had, but you know it’ll get at least one of the boys down from the ceiling and hopefully eating out of your hand. 

-

It was still the afternoon, so most of the boys would be sleeping if anything, not really up and about right now as you fumble around with your keys on the front step. That means that they are still animals right now.

You miss the pair of eyes watching you with mirth in the distance. 

Vernon and Joshua greet you at the door when you walk in, Vernon barks and Joshua squeaks, rubbing up against your legs, scenting you once you enter the farmhouse. “Hi boys. Hi! Hi! Hi!” You excitedly wiggle around with them as their tails move at lightning speeds. You pat their heads, scratching their ears as you hear a peep from someone in the living room. You make your way over to the other room, placing your keys on the hooks by the door. 

It was still weird to think you were in control of this house, calling it your own was very foreign still. 

Soonyoung jumps up and down on the back of the couch as you approach wordlessly, turning your face with his little hand, looking in your eyes, making sure you are truly okay from your journey outside - something he only recently started doing, always concerned for your safety above anything else. “I’m fine, Soonyoung.” His black and white ringed tail twitches when you say his name and you give him an affectionate pat on the head. He closes his eyes and leans into your palm. 

A loud splash followed by a high pitched squeal is heard upstairs and you freeze before yelling, “Seungkwan, you better not come down these stairs all wet! I’ll come up there in a minute!” There’s a pause before the little river otter man returns to the tub upstairs, with more squeaking and splashing. It wasn’t his fault that he was excited to see you, but he was going to get the flooring soaking wet and you didn’t want anyone tripping on the old hardwood. Okay, okay…you were the one that didn’t want to trip on the hardwood. 

Chan greets you with a sleepy-looking Junhui attached to his back. You pick them up, setting them in your lap as you sit on the couch for a second, just reveling in everyone’s sleepiness but willing to come to see you. You tuck Junhui into the crook of your elbow as Chan curls himself up into your lap. The dog boys come to stalk around the couch, watching you with intent eyes. Soonyoung starts playing with your hair and you just let him go, knowing that he would go back to doing it eventually if you protested. Vernon starts to pant and can’t help but feel a little sleepy from the afternoon sun filtering in through the windows. Joshua whines and you almost forget there’s more boys to see and more things to do before you take a nap. 

“Grandma is fine.” You feel like they all sigh in unison, the nervous panting and air dissipates with your words. “She loves all the gifts you’ve given her.” You smile at Junhui who snuggles into your skin further, big eyes closed as the rest of the group watches you with bated breath. “She told me to thank everyone, she’s so grateful for all of you.” Vernon barks and Chan hums low. Joshua squeaks and wags his tail. You yawn, closing your eyes as Soonyoung trails his paws through your strands of hair as if he was soothing you. 

You could just fall asleep right here.

You hear Seokmin whinny from the field and Seungkwan splashes upstairs and you know that you have some rounds to make.

You set Chan on the couch, tucking him with a little blanket your grandma has knitted. He yawns and falls asleep easily where you once sat. You carry Junhui up the stairs with you, Soonyoung riding Vernon’s back as you all trek up the stairs, Joshua bringing up the rear. You visit Seungkwan who practically screeches he’s so excited to see you. You talk to him in the tub, rubbing his wet furry head with your free hand as he slithers around in the water, creating waves. Soonyoung hops in and splashes around with him in the tub and the dog boys whine, trying to keep you on schedule as you head back downstairs to the boys who were waiting for you outside. Mingyu was farther out in the pasture than Seokmin and Seungcheol, mostly hidden behind some trees. The hooved boys sway and throw their heads up and down, flicking their tails as you bring Junhui and the dog boys outside with you. 

“Hi boys.” You smile as Seokmin snorts and whinnies. “Everything okay?” You ask and they bob their heads up and down almost in unison. Mingyu sees you were outside and approaches you, still far away. You wave at him letting him know you see him. “Seungcheol,” he leans down and you rub the long bridge of his nose. He closes his eyes and you take in how long and thick his eyelashes were. “Hey, I think I’m going to take a nap, but wake me up when you guys have changed, okay?” He opens his eyes blinking at you in acknowledgment. “Thanks, buddy.”

You leave the hooved boys outside once you make sure they have some food to nibble on and fresh water outside, returning inside and checking the water you leave out in various dishes for the boys inside as you head back inside. You felt positively drained, exhausted so you carry Junhui with you without a second thought to bed with you, finding Jihoon curled up in a ball on top of the covers. You slip into the sheets, letting your eyes flutter, sleep was fast approaching, cradling Junhui close to your body, picking up the tiny cat as you place him close to your body as you spoon both of their tiny bodies. Veron and Joshua both sleep next to you on the floor on their dog beds, yawning in tandem as everyone lets sleep overpower their senses.

“Sweet dreams.” You mumble into the pillows, drifting far off to dreamland not long after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thanks for reading!


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